2010 EL Stereo - Stock Upgrade

This is a discussion on 2010 EL Stereo - Stock Upgrade within the Audio & Electronics forums, part of the Ford Expedition Forum category! Hi All,
This summer we decided to upgrade the stereo in our 2010 Ford Expedition EL with something a little ...

This summer we decided to upgrade the stereo in our 2010 Ford Expedition EL with something a little better that would help with my daily commute and on those long trips. Thought I would pass it on for enjoyment...

A few of our requirements:
Full upgrade will all OEM functionality
Minimal custom modification to speaker locations
Must fit in stock locations - due to how often we haul stuff a big ole sub woofer box like I would normally want just wouldn't work.
Enough volume to make it reasonable without blowing the budget or requiring serious mods...so onto the goodies

The components:
JBL P660C
Infinity Kappa 682.9cf
16 AWG Kicker Speaker Wire
NVX Sound deadening
JL Audio Stealthbox
Kenwood DNX5190
Power Acoustik PT-120CM 12" screen
Alpine PDXV9 5 Channel (birth certificate of 133 rmsx4 and 530rmsx1)
Memphis Audio amp kit/rcas
and the Idatalink maestro unit to integrate with all the sync goodies - just for the record this unit was a royal pain in the ass to install...took way longer than it should have, you have to program it out of the vehicle (which means you have to take it in and out and hook it to a computer to adjust settings). It is almost too "user freindly" for its own good. Regardless, its done and I retain all FORD sync functions and access points (eg USB in the armrest).

Onto the pictures, enjoy...

First the truck:

Front Speakers mid install - added more sound material before I was done (forgot to take pictures of the back)

Factory Sub

The JL

Amp - MDF board mounted in cubby, covered in bedliner

Head Unit (with lockout bypass for DVD/NAV installed)

Overhead Screen (12") - You couldn't go any bigger or it would get in the way of the overhead vents....It has LEDs - now it makes the other lights look dirty :P

500 is a lot and what you have is a box...in a box...in a box...sub enclosure inside the panel...and the cabin being the final enclosure/box...more space for the air to travel...i think when its said and done...my final setup will have a 5th rim mounted on that side and everything redone...our install is very similar...you have your sub in the panel and i have my amp...my 4-ch is in the same spot as yours

I paid $600 shipped for this complete unit......I probably paid about $100-$150 more than doing it myself.....but I saved the 10 hours it would have taken me with all the curves and layers.....well worth the extra money to save my time - I did the rest of the install in less than 10 hours....

Hi - your thread was helpful. I'm installing a new 10" Polk DXi in the factory enclosure (bought off ebay with 8"sub). I want to put the same kind of grill you have. Where did you get it and can it be easily installed after all the trim is put on ? I'm having it professionally installed but don't want to wait for the grill. Very nice install by the way..I'm too cheap to go for the $650 replacement box.

Hi - your thread was helpful. I'm installing a new 10" Polk DXi in the factory enclosure (bought off ebay with 8"sub). I want to put the same kind of grill you have. Where did you get it and can it be easily installed after all the trim is put on ? I'm having it professionally installed but don't want to wait for the grill. Very nice install by the way..I'm too cheap to go for the $650 replacement box.

Sub grill came with the JL kit; its MDF wrapped in fabric with built in nuts that get screwed/bolted to the side panel. I put some sound deadening between the grill and panel to ensure no rattle.

As far as your idea of using the 10" in the factory enclosure I believe you are flawed. The polk is over 5" deep and you need spacing behind it. The factory 8 is something on the order of 2.5" deep. You would have to radically modify the factory enclosure to do three things (1) build out more depth (2) double the volume of the factory enclosure and (3) create a new mounting surface with enough space for excursion....this is all assuming the factory ABS plastic enclosure will withstand more SPL...Im not so sure it will without cracking. You are easily going to spend a couple hundred modifying that stock enclosure with fiberglass and mdf...

Keep in mind you can get the JL audio one for $600....that includes a
JL 10W3 - around $260 from discount stores; Fiberglass/wood materials ~$100- $150 (lots of odd curves under there); and then Mounting Bracket, carpet, etc ~$20...so it really only "costs" about 100 in labor ......and no mess up/guess work. I have done fiberglass before....it isn't hard as long as you know what you are doing but takes a very long time....Just something to consider...